Category Archives: Board of Directors

2019, awards, Board of Directors, Cats, Dogs, Donate, Events, FOTAS, News, Shelter staff, Spay/Neuter, Uncategorized, Volunteers

It’s a Party! FOTAS Celebrates Ten Years of Saving Lives

Posted on by Bob Gordon
28
Oct

On Saturday, November 2nd, FOTAS will host a party at the Aiken County Animal Shelter to celebrate its tenth anniversary partnering with the county and the shelter to save lives.

What a ride it’s been. In 2009, a few dedicated and concerned citizens banded together to form FOTAS in response to the dismal conditions at the old shelter and the bleak prospects for any animal unlucky enough to pass through its doors. At the time, a trip to the county shelter was a death sentence—91% of the 6,000 animals at the shelter were euthanized every year. Very few made it out alive.

Destiny, a 3- month-old kitten available for adoption, is ready to celebrate FOTAS’s 10th year.

The turnabout at the county shelter since 2009 is nothing short of spectacular. Since the formation of FOTAS, the euthanasia rate has dropped steadily each year, reaching a historic low of 6% in 2018, saving every adoptable animal. It’s a remarkable story of partnership, determination, commitment, and community involvement and support.

In fact, the South Carolina Secretary of State selected FOTAS as one of the ten organizations (out of thousands!) to receive the Angel Award, which recognizes the most efficient and effective charities in the state.

There are so many people to celebrate for this astonishing success:

The FOTAS volunteers, who work on bookkeeping, social media, special fundraising events, and FOTAS Fix-a-Pet; who organize and work on special fundraising and on-site events; who foster mamma dogs and cats and all their progeny, who care for animals designated for transfer; who shuffle animals to off-site adoption events; who walk the dogs, love up the cats, work with play groups, and show animals to potential adopters—the dramatic and steady increase in the Shelter’s live release rate since 2009 is directly related to their efforts to make the animals more adoptable

Paige Bayne, Director of Aiken County Code Enforcement, and the beloved Bobby Arthurs, Chief Animal Control Officer and Shelter Manager, who directly oversee and manage the Shelter operations with kind, thoughtful and dedicated attention to the welfare of the animals.

Blue, a handsome young mixed breed, can be adopted at the Aiken County Animal Shelter.

The County Shelter staff—the intake administrators, adoption coordinators, vet techs, kennel techs and custodians—who make certain that all of those animals are properly documented and cared for with compassion and efficiency.

Dr. Lisa Levy, the Shelter Vet, whose medical prowess and big heart has saved the lives of hundreds of animals, and Dr. Mike Wells, who performs spay/neuter surgery on community cats for the TNR program.

The County Council and the County Administration for being the best public partners—ever—and working with FOTAS to save every adoptable animal.

And last but not least, you, the Aiken community, who year after year have supported our efforts with enthusiasm and generosity. You have designated the Shelter as your community shelter, and we could not be prouder.

Join us at the county shelter this Saturday, November 2nd, from 10:00 to 1:00 for a joyful celebration of our shared success in making the county shelter a model of public responsibility to our animals. There will be lots of free food and activities for adults, children, and their four-legged friends. Bring your party hat, and we’ll see you there.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President

Adoption, Board of Directors, Cats, Dogs, Events, News

A Triumphant History and a New Era

Posted on by Angel Hartline
12
Jun

10 August 2014

A Triumphant History and a New Era

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Director

Last week was a banner week for FOTAS, the Aiken County Animal Shelter and its animal residents.

Adoptions were at a record high: 15 dogs and 7 cats were rehomed to loving families.  Sixteen dogs were transferred to one of our partner shelters.  The FOTAS Fix-a-Pet program assisted County citizens in need and organized and funded the spay/neuter of 33 dogs and cats at the SPCA’s clinic.  FOTAS celebrated its fifth birthday, and Martha Chadwick became the first Shelter Manager.

These events represent a remarkable journey of hard work, persistence and perseverance and the dawn of a new era for the County Shelter.

FOTAS was officially formed on July 28, 2009 to help the County with the wretched conditions at the old shelter.

At that time, the annual intake often exceeded 6000 animals.  Up to 95% of the animals surrendered to the shelter or picked up by animal control were put to death.

The shelter was hopelessly outdated – open trenches for waste, no outdoor facilities, no ventilation systems for proper air exchange, no isolation facilities, as many as five to six animals housed in one small indoor crate. The shelter was a breeding ground for anxiety and contagious diseases.

Fast forward five years. Through the innovative and effective public/private partnership forged by the County and FOTAS, a modern, healthy new shelter was built – a facility in which the community can take pride. The partnership also has developed and established successful adoption, volunteer, training, foster, transfer, and spay/neuter programs.

The result? The euthanasia rate has dropped from a haunting 95% to a still haunting, but significantly improved, 69%.

But wait – it gets better.  The County recently restructured it’s animal control/shelter program to better coordinate the County’s staff and private resources, ensure better care of the animals, and meet the needs of the shelter and the community.

First, animal control and shelter management have been separated, allowing Chief Animal Control Officer Bobby Arthurs to be out in the community solving problems, interacting with County citizens, enforcing state and county laws, and educating the public about responsible pet ownership.

“No one has been more committed to the care of the County’s unfortunate animals or more supportive of the changes at the shelter than Bobby,” says Jennifer Miller, the President of FOTAS.  “He is a tremendous asset with an amazing depth of experience, equaled only by his amazing depth of compassion.”

Second, the County created a Shelter Manager position that reports directly to the Assistant County Administrator’s office and hired Martha Chadwick to fill the position.

Martha, who moved to Aiken five years ago from Virginia with her husband and three children, has the people skills, management experience and love for animals necessary to continue to develop the shelter’s programs, increase adoptions, and further reduce the euthanasia rate.

Martha also wants to encourage greater community involvement with the shelter.  “I want folks to know that they can make a difference, either by adopting their next pet from the shelter or joining the FOTAS volunteer program or both.”

That’s a tall order, but Martha is certain she has the right people to make it happen.

“I am so impressed with the shelter staff and FOTAS volunteers, who have managed to do so much with so little for so long.  They have welcomed me with open hearts and made my transition into this new position effortless,” says Martha.

“I am so excited about this job.”

She pauses. “ I can hardly believe I am getting paid to do it.”

Joanna Dunn Samson is a retired attorney and environmental administrator who specialized in the development of large public projects and public/private partnerships. Appointed to the FOTAS Board in 2012, she and her husband David, their two dogs and two ponies moved to Aiken in 2006.

Pets of the Week:

JOSE — Male, American bulldog mix — 4 months old — 20 lbs — $70

LEMON – Female, tabby kitten — 12 wks old — 3.1 lbs — $35

Board of Directors

A New Day — A New Board

Posted on by Angel Hartline
09
Jun

What does a retired international businesswoman, a bank president, a veterinarian, and a priest have in common?

They all serve on the FOTAS Board of Directors.

It took us 3 years to convince Caroline Simonson to join the Board. Caroline was one of the first volunteers recruited by Jennifer Miller in 2009. She devotes 4 mornings a week, every week, to the shelter walking and socializing dogs, assisting new volunteers, and helping evaluate dogs for transfer.

Before she and her husband Bill moved to Aiken in 2004, Caroline worked at the New York Stock Exchange, raised a daughter and worked for an international company that sold cars and vehicles to the military, diplomats and embassies.

After I moved to Aiken, I volunteered with other community organizations, but once I started working with FOTAS,” says Caroline, “I knew I had found my calling.

Frank Townsend is the president of the Aiken County Southern Bank & Trust. An Aiken native, Frank is married to Beth, and has four lovely children – Frank, Jr., Pinckney, and the twins, Wallace and Wright – and two shelter cats, Charlie and George.

FOTAS appealed to Frank to join the Board because of his deep ties to the Aiken community and his financial expertise, skills important for a growing non-profit organization raising money in the community for various activities. We also were impressed with his optimistic, soft-spoken manner, so we made a full court press.

Jennifer Miller was very persuasive,” says Frank “I was appalled by the huge intake and euthanasia numbers in the County. I knew I wanted to help. I just couldn’t say no.

Dr. Charlie Timmerman is a highly respected veterinarian who started his own small animal practice in Aiken 42 years ago. He is married to Colleen, who works closely with FOTAS’ Lenny’s Brigade and Fix-a-Pet programs. They have 2 children and 3 grandchildren.

It’s obvious why we were so keen on Charlie: the depth and breath of his veterinary experience with small animals was and has been essential. He’s a no-nonsense kind of guy with a measured response to problems. We need that.

“I believe in getting involved,” says Charlie, “and I believed I could make a difference in the well-being of the shelter animals by working with FOTAS.”

We assured Charlie that working with us would not interfere with his time with his grandchildren, his quail hunting and most importantly, any Clemson games. Maybe we secretly crossed our fingers as we made that promise, but Charlie’s adroitly managed to work it all into his rich and busy life.

Father Grant Wiseman moved to the Diocese of Upper South Carolina in 2009 with his wife Heather and his twin daughters, Audrey and Abby. Aside from being the rector for St. Thaddeus in Aiken, Grant is very active in governance of the Diocese and serves as a trustee of the Gravatt Camp and Conference Center and Dean of the Gravatt Convocation.

Grant, Heather, Audrey and Abby have fostered in excess of 300 puppies over the past 5 years. Aside from his and his family’s obvious dedication to helping the County’s homeless animals, Grant is a kind, optimistic and practical man also with deep ties to the community and extraordinary organizational experience.

“Our family strongly believes that puppies who spend the beginning of their lives being held, named and loved are far more adoptable than those who are not,” says Grant.

He’s right – virtually all of their puppies have gone on to find loving homes through our transfer partners.

This is a great Board,” says Jennifer Miller. “They are movers and shakers in the Aiken community and have been instrumental in the evolution of FOTAS to an organization able to make an enduring difference. They work together beautifully as a team, which makes the hard work of FOTAS not only productive, but pleasurable. I am grateful for their commitment.